Freedom of Religion (amendment) Bill passed

Gandhinagar, Sept 19: The Gujarat Assembly today passed by voice-vote the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (amendment) Bill 2006 amid protests from the opposition benches.

Raising a point of order on the Bill after it was placed in the Assembly, Leader of Opposition Arjun Modhvadia said, ''The bill contravenes Article 25 of the Constitution and what the Indian Parliament stands for since the bill tries to define Jainism and Buddhism as being part of Hindu dharma.'' He said the Supreme Court had held that Jainism and Buddhism were independent religions. My only request is that the bill be presented in proper order. Let all religions get equal respect. ''The idea behind the amendment is politicking in the name of religion,'' Mr Modhwadia said.

Calling it a Black Day for the country and the state, Mr Modhwadia said the government has no business to regulate the freedom of choice of its people in the name of preventing conversion. A bill was brought last time when the Lok Sabha elections were around the corner. ''If somebody wants to change his or her religion, there should be no restrictions,'' he said.

Pointing out the spread of Swaminarayan and Iskon cult, he said foreigners have subscribed to our philosophy on their own volition.

Replying to Mr odhwadia, Home Minister Amit Shah said the bill is wrongly being termed as ''anti-conversion'', and in actual, it is only a bill to allow freedom to practice one's religion. Congress MLA Daulat Parmar said Babasaheb Ambedkar had said that justice is available in Buddhism and Jainism. An effort is being made to include Buddhism and Jainism in the Hindu religion by this government so as to exploit religious sentiments.

Replying to trenchant criticism of the Congress, Mr Shah said the aim of the Opposition is only to obstruct whatever good the government is trying to do for the people of this State.

The State government is determined to see that religious freedom is maintained at all cost without the concomitant force being exerted by some to convert.

Mr Shah said the missionaries were using allurement in the guise of benefits of education and health services to entice the poor and the illiterate, especially in the Adivasis belt. ''The vulnerable people are falling to such bait and the government is duty bound to protect them. Till literacy comes of age, this Bill is needed to protect the poor from falling prey to missionaries,'' he said.

The Speaker okayed the bill by voice vote.

The original Bill had come under fire from human rights groups when it was passed in March 2003. Under the legislation, anyone who wants to convert to another religion had to apply for permission from the District Collector. Those 'forcing' or 'alluring' people to convert are liable for criminal action.

The government too had failed to implement the law because of objections raised by the legal department.

UNI